We have been ­campaigning against this legalised mugging for many years

AA president Edmund King

A new law, introduced as part of the Protection of Freedoms Act, means it will be a criminal offence to clamp or tow a car away on private land – with fines of up to £5,000 for offenders. The ban will mean private parking firms will be hard-pressed to enforce tickets without the use of a clamp.

Legal experts reckon the annual 1.8million tickets issued by clampers at an average charge of £60 will be a thing of the past because the fines are not ­enforceable in law. Motorists will be able to ignore private parking fine tickets, except when driving a lease or hire car or a vehicle owned by an employer.

AA president Edmund King said: “We have been ­campaigning against this legalised mugging for many years.